The present application is related to, and claims priority from, Japanese Patent Application No. Hei. 10-285251, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Recently, through research and development of W-CDMA and the like, portable video telephones using wireless communication technology have been developed that are capable of communicating image data as well as voice data. With conventional video telephones, because the phones are fixed within a room, it is possible to secure enough light to pick up and transmit images by illuminating the room.
However, a portable video telephone is not always used in locations where there is enough light to illuminate an image to be transmitted. Consequently, when a video telephone is used in dim light, a dark and featureless image may be transmitted.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a wireless communication device capable of inhibiting the transmission of images which are featureless due to insufficient lighting.
More particularly, the present invention provides a communication device including a display for displaying messages. A voice transmitter transmits voice data, and an image transceiver receives and transmits image data. A light measuring device measures the ambient light level, and a controller in communication with the light measuring device generates a message on the display indicating that the light level is inadequate when the light level is measured by the light measuring device to be lower than a predetermined level.
With the communication device of the present invention, because it is possible to warn a user that the present ambient light level is inadequate, the user can move to a location having a sufficient level of light, or increase the level of light in the present location, so that image data can be properly transmitted.